1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recreational vehicle and, more particularly, to an all-terrain, powered vehicle with foot-driven steering and to a method of steering related thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exist many powered units that attempt to emulate gravity-driven recreational devices so as to extent their range of operation and to eliminate the need to pay expensive fees for entertainment. Consider, for example, but not as a limitation of the invention disclosed herein, motorized sled- or ski-type vehicles disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,307,788 and 5,568,840, and motorized snowboards disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,725,959, 6,698,540, 6,435,290 and 5,662,186, to name a few.
Each of the '540, '959, and '186 patents depicts a motorized ski vehicle having a power-driven endless track at the rear of the vehicle and a modified snowboard at the front. The user faces in the direction of travel, while standing in a location above, or in front of the power-driven endless track. Each of these disclosed vehicles allows the user to ride in a predominately standing position with the user's side facing in the direction of travel. Turning is accomplished in a similar manner as that employed when riding a snowboard, with the user leaning into turns. The '959 vehicle incorporates an upright tiller for throttle, braking, and assistance with turning while the '540 and '186 vehicles control throttle and braking through the use of a hand-held device connected to the vehicle through a flexible conduit. All of these three vehicles perform poorly when faced with steep slopes or deep powder. With the rider's weight supported mostly or entirely by the board, their tracks tend to dig out snow in less than ideal conditions, thereby loosing traction. The '959, '540, and '186 vehicles rely partially or fully upon heavily modified snowboards for turning and stability; however, these modifications (which include stiffening the board with one or more attachment plates and removing the tail and some of the rear portions of the board or removing a large section of the board and substituting the same with a tracked device while adding an angled region to the board) substantially degrade the turning ability of the board by reducing the effective edge length, increasing the rigidity, and reducing or eliminating the camber of the board. With the power units of the '959 and '540 vehicles being flexibly mounted to the rear of the device, jumping is not recommended due to the potential for the power unit to become damaged upon landing or to cause injury to the user in the case of a fall.
The '788 patent discloses a motorized “stand-up” snow vehicle with a frame and a forward steering ski controlled by a steering unit that extends to a height above the frame sufficient to be grasped by a standing operator. The steering unit is a vertical steering rod causing turning to the right when its upper end is moved to the right. The '840 patent discloses a step floor for a small snowmobile that includes a pair of upright portions provided on opposite sides of a floor on which a driver stands. By locating the track predominately under the user's feet, the '788 and '840 devices are able to traverse steeper slopes and deeper powder than the devices described in the '540, '959 and '186 patents. However, with rigid, predominately vertical members in the front for turning and stability, the '788 and '840 devices can be particularly unsafe for aggressive riding styles and/or if the devices are taken over jumps due to the potential for the user to become tangled in the vertical member during a fall. In addition, the '778 and the '840 devices lack in versatility and maneuverability because of the combination of the forward facing position of the user, high relative weight, only a loose connection between the user and the device, and a steering system that is predominately decoupled from the lean of the user's body.
The '290 device is a personal tracked vehicle with a flexible central frame member that extends from a large front roller to a smaller rear roller and is encircled by a flexible looped belt having projecting treads. An engine mounted above the belt drives the front roller and two bogie wheels engage the belt within valleys formed in the treads. Two boot supports are fixed to the central frame member that support the feet of a standing rider. Rollers fixed to the central frame member support the belt as it travels around the frame. As stated in the '290 patent, the minimal extent of the frame outside the belt exposes a substantial length of the belt edge to engagement with the ground, as well as the stiff lips of the rollers, making it possible to control the vehicle by twisting and tipping However, because the belt edge cannot flex like a snowboard and does not include a side cut as snowboards do, the '290 vehicle cannot be controlled in a manner similar to that of a snowboard, since the board flexibility and side cut are predominant factors governing the maneuverability of a snowboard.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a powered recreational vehicle with increased maneuverability, functionality, and range of operation that will address the noted deficiencies of conventional devices and others known by those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts based on their consideration of the subject matter disclosed herein.